Provocation, Duel Challenge

Moye glanced at its paws, a hint of grievance in its eyes, but it resolutely approached another island tree similar in size to the previous one.

"Last time, it took you eight strikes to bring the tree down. This time, you must do it in seven," Kael said, his tone firm and unyielding when it came to training his Soul Pet.

In truth, this method of training was the most effective and efficient way to enhance a Soul Pet's strength. Every Soul Pet needed rigorous training; laziness, neglect, or complacency would only lead to defeat or death at the hands of other Soul Pets in the future.

Gritting its tiny teeth, Moye endured the pain in its paws and began striking the tree repeatedly.

"Keep practicing here. Try to bring down the tree in seven strikes. I'll go find something," Kael instructed.

"Whimper~" Moye let out a soft sound.

"Don't worry, I won't go far. If you sense any danger, hide in that bush. Don't come out, understand?" Kael warned.

Moye nodded.

Kael ventured into a nearby thicket of blue-leaved trees. Having been on the island for some time, he remembered that these blue thickets housed a plant called Blue Healgrass. When chewed and applied to a Soul Pet's wounds, it could accelerate healing.

Not only that, but applying Blue Healgrass to worn-out claws could cause them to regrow, resulting in even sharper claws.

Kael searched through the blue thicket, pushing aside the grass until he spotted several deep blue Healgrass plants!

"Deep Blue Healgrass!"

Kael's heart leaped with joy. The quality of Healgrass was determined by its color. Light blue was the lowest grade, while deep blue was the highest, with effects three times stronger than ordinary Healgrass. If chewed and applied to Moye's paws, it could transform them from the initial stage to the intermediate stage within three days!

"Looks like luck is on our side. Moye's strength will grow even faster now," Kael muttered with a smile as he reached out and began pulling the Healgrass from the ground.

The higher the quality of the Healgrass, the stronger its roots. Additionally, the grass had tiny barbs. As Kael struggled to uproot them, his palms were soon covered in cuts.

Enduring the pain, Kael managed to harvest three deep blue Healgrass plants, his hands now bleeding profusely.

After roughly bandaging his wounds, Kael hurried back to where Moye was practicing.

"What's this? A clumsy little fox scratching at a tree?" a mocking voice rang out just as Kael arrived.

Kael approached to see a rather short youth sneering at Moye.

Beside the boy was a Centipede Soul Pet, over a meter long, with a dark greenish-black body that looked both bizarre and menacing.

The Centipede belonged to the Insect Branch of the Beast World—specifically, the Centipede Tribe. It was of medium grade, and it was said that with each stage it advanced, it would grow an additional segment and a pair of legs.

With a single glance, Kael counted fourteen segments, indicating that this Centipede was at the second stage.

"You must be Kael. I've heard about your little pet. Haha, those tiny claws are barely scratching the tree. What kind of attack power is that?" the boy mocked with a laugh.

Kael didn't know the boy's name but responded with a cold smile, "Is your Centipede so strong? Perfect. My Moonlight Fox needs combat experience. Two days from now, right here. My Moonlight Fox against your Centipede. If you win, I'll give you a first-stage Insect Attribute Soul Core. If I win, you hand over that brown Beast Attribute Soul Core you're holding. Deal?"

The overseers of the island had already decreed that before the upcoming assessment in two months, they were not allowed to kill each other, but they could settle disputes through duels.

"In two days, you'll be looking for a new Soul Pet," the boy said with a laugh.

"Same to you," Kael shot back.

"My name's Zhang Luo," the boy said before walking away, looking as though he'd already won himself a couple of Soul Cores.

"Zhang Luo... Hmph," Kael muttered, watching him leave with a cold smile.

Soul Cores were crucial for Soul Pets. Every Soul Pet had its own attributes. For example, Kael's Soul Pet had both Spirit and Beast attributes.

If a Moonlight Fox were fed Spirit Attribute Soul Cores during its growth, its spiritual abilities would become purer and more potent, enhancing its Spirit-based techniques.

Conversely, if it were frequently fed Beast Attribute Soul Cores, it would lean more towards the Beast attribute, gaining enhanced strength, agility, and defense, significantly boosting its overall physical capabilities.

This method of feeding Soul Cores to guide a Soul Pet's development towards a specific attribute was known as Soul Core Nurturing—a subtle process of attribute alignment.

Kael had noticed that Zhang Luo had a high-quality Beast Attribute Soul Core, which would be perfect for little Moye. Such specialized food could help the delicate fox grow stronger.

"Did you manage to bring the tree down in seven strikes?" Kael asked as he petted Moye.

"Whimper," Moye tilted its head up, pouting like a little girl, its eyes filled with a mix of grievance and pride. It then extended its tiny paw for Kael to see.

"Good job. Don't worry, we'll definitely win the duel the day after tomorrow, and you'll get a delicious meal," Kael assured.

At the mention of battle, Moye's eyes sparkled with excitement. Clearly, it shared Kael's combative spirit.

The strength of a Soul Pet generally grew through five aspects:

The Soul Pet's own stage advancement.

The Soul Pet's personal training.

The Soul Core feeding by the Tamer.

The enhancement from potions.

The tempering through Soul Crystals.

Among these, the most crucial was the Soul Pet's personal training. Therefore, when training Moye, Kael had to be strict. If the foundation wasn't laid properly in the early stages, it would become increasingly difficult to improve later on.

After a day of training, Moye was thoroughly exhausted, and Kael returned it to his Soul Pet Space to rest.

Soul Pets recovered their stamina and healed faster inside the Soul Pet Space than in the outside world. Thus, when a Soul Pet was exhausted or injured, Tamers would typically return it to the Soul Pet Space to recover.